PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (CBS12) — Port St. Lucie residents could soon get a chance to weigh in on whether the city should return to twice-a-week trash pickup — but it may come at a cost.

The Port St. Lucie City Council is expected to vote Monday on whether to place a straw ballot question on the November ballot asking residents if they support switching from once-a-week trash collection to twice-weekly service.

The results would not be binding, but city officials say the straw poll would give them a clearer picture of where residents stand before making a final decision.

If the city moves forward with twice-a-week trash pickup, Port St. Lucie says each resident’s solid waste assessment fee would increase by at least $131 a year starting in 2028, with additional increases expected in later years. The change would require the city to add Saturday trash collection to the weekly schedule.

The proposed ballot question comes after years of frustration over trash service in Port St. Lucie.

Earlier this year, the city decided how to return a $24 million settlement from its former trash hauler, Waste Pro, to residents. The City Council voted to distribute the money through property tax credits instead of sending checks in the mail. The settlement followed a lawsuit the city filed against Waste Pro after years of complaints about unreliable service and missed pickups. Waste Pro was replaced by FCC Environmental Services in 2022.

Some residents previously urged the city to use part or all of the Waste Pro settlement to help pay for a second weekly trash pickup day. But city leaders rejected that option, saying it would only provide a short-term fix. Once the settlement money ran out, the city could be forced back to once-a-week service or have to revisit the trash contract again.

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Instead, roughly 95,000 eligible properties are expected to receive a tax-roll credit. According to the city’s earlier proposal, about 57,000 homeowners who remained at the same property since the 2022 tax roll would receive an estimated $364 credit, while about 38,000 other eligible properties could receive an estimated $64 credit.

The current straw ballot proposal asks whether residents would support increasing the solid waste assessment by at least $131 in 2028 to amend the city’s contract and provide twice-weekly residential trash pickup citywide. The service change would not apply to bulk, recycling or yard waste collections.

If approved by the council, the question would go before voters in November. The final decision on whether to change trash service would still rest with city leaders.